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Saturday, January 04, 2014

News Release-JCPB Telephone Scam

JCPD NEWS RELEASE

SUBJECT:

JCPB Telephone Scam

DATE:

01/04/14

TIME:

2:00 p.m.

PREPARED BY:

Sergeant Shaun Miller

APPROVED BY:

Captain Brian Rice

In keeping with our goal of preserving property, the Johnson City Police Department and its members wish to inform the residents and business owners of Johnson City of a telephone scam involving the Johnson City Power Board.

In September 2013, customers of the Johnson City Power Board began receiving calls from an unknown party posing as a JCPB collections employee. In the calls, customers, most of which were business owners, were told that if they did not immediately pay their allegedly overdue accounts by purchasing and providing the information from prepaid gift cards (reloadable cards) that their electrical service would be disconnected. Now, after what appears to have been a temporary shutdown, the scam has returned.

The Johnson City Police Department and the JCPB cautions the public to be wary of such calls. If there is ever any question as to the true identity of a JCPB representative, customers should ask for the representative’s name, department, and phone number before hanging up and contacting the JCPB’s customer service division at (423) 952-5272 for verification.

In the event that you have been victimized, please call 911 for assistance. If you have information regarding the on-going scam, please call 911, Crime Stoppers at 423-434-6158, or utilize the department's tip line by texting 423JCPD and your tip to 847411 (TIP411).